Chattisgarh High Court
Mahendra Kumar Kannoje vs State Of Chhattisgarh on 27 March, 2026
1/5
2026:CGHC:14563
NAFR
PAWAN
KUMAR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR
JHA
Digitally
signed by
WPS No. 2818 of 2026
PAWAN
KUMAR JHA
• Mahendra Kumar Kannoje S/o Shri Dukhuram Kannoje Aged About 43 Years
R/o House No 78/09 Ward No 15, Tulsipur Rajnandgaon Distt- Rajnandgaon
(C.G.)
... Petitioner
versus
1. State Of Chhattisgarh Through The Secretary Rural Development And
Panchayat Raj Department Vikas Bhawan Sector 19, North Block- Atal Nagar
Naya Raipur Ditt- Raipur (C.G.)
2. The Collector Distt- Rajnandgaon (C.G.)
3. Chief Executive Officer Jila Panchayat Rajnandgaon District- Rajnandgaon
(C.G.)
... Respondents
For Petitioner : Mr. Satyendra Shrivas, Advocate For State : Mr. Shahil Singh, Panel Lawyer S.B.: Hon'ble Shri Parth Prateem Sahu, Judge Order on Board 27.03.2026
1. Petitioner has filed this writ petition, seeking following reliefs:-
"10.A That, this Hon'ble Court may kindly be pleased to call for the entire records relating to the matter of petitioner for the kind perusal of this Hon'ble Court.
10.B That, this Hon'ble Court may kindly do issue in the nature of writ of mandamus or any other appropriate writ and direct the respondent No. 3 to regularize the petitioner in the post of peon at Zila Panchayat, Rajnandgaon in the Department of Respondent No. 3 and give seniority from his initial appointment.
10.C Any other relief, which may be suitable in the facts of the case may also be granted."2/5
2. Learned counsel for petitioner submits that petitioner is employee of respondents and was initially appointed on the post of Peon on 23.05.2008 at Zila Panchayat, Rajnandgaon, District Rajnandgaon under Rashtriya Gramin Rojgar Guarantee Scheme on contractual basis, since then he is continuously performing his duty on the said post. Petitioner has completed more than 17 years of service, however, he has not been regularized in the service. He submits that petitioner may be permitted to submit representation before Respondents Nos. 2 & 3 raising his grievance and further direction be issued to the concerned respondents to consider and take decision on the claim of petitioner for regularization of his service within specified time frame.
3. Learned counsel for State submits that as petitioner is not pressing this writ petition on merits and is only seeking limited prayer of submitting representation before the competent authority, he is having no objection.
4. I have heard learned counsel for the parties and perused the documents available on record.
5. Claim as raised by the petitioner in this writ petition is that he is continuously working as daily wage employee, on the post of Peon, for more than about 17 years.
6. Hon'ble Supreme Court in case of Narendra Kumar Tiwari & Others vs. State of Jharkhand & Others reported in SCC (L&S) 2018 (2) 472 considered the issue of claim of regularization of temporary/daily wages employees, who had completed 10 years of service. Further, Hon'ble Supreme Court in case of Jaggo vs. Union of India reported 3/5 in (2024) SCC Online SC 3826 has further observed that the government departments to lead by example in providing fair and stable employment. Engaging workers on a temporary basis for extended periods, especially when their roles are integral to the organization's functioning, not only contravenes international labour standards but also exposes the organization to legal challenges and undermines employee morale.
7. Hon'ble Supreme Court in case of Bhola Nath vs. The State of Jharkhand & Ors. [SLP (Civil) No.30762 of 2024] and connected Special Leave Petitions (Civil) vide its order dated 30th January 2026 has observed that respondent -State was not justified in continuing the appellant's services on sanctioned posts for over a decade under nomenclature of contractual engagement and thereafter denying them consideration for regularization and have further directed for regularizing the appellants therein, in service.
8. Recently, Hon'ble Supreme Court in case of Dharam Singh & Ors. vs. State of UP & Anr. (2025 SCC OnLine SC 1735) has strongly deprecated the culture of "ad-hocism" adopted by States in their capacity as employers. Hon'ble Supreme Court also criticized the practice of outsourcing or informalizing recruitment as a means to evade regular employment obligations, observing that such measures perpetuate precarious working conditions while circumventing fair and lawful engagement practices and observed thus:
"17. Before concluding, we think it necessary to recall that the State (here referring to both the Union and the State governments) is not a mere market participant but a constitutional employer. It cannot balance budgets on the backs of those who perform the most basic and recurring 4/5 public functions. Where work recurs day after day and year after year, the establishment must reflect that reality in its sanctioned strength and engagement practices. The long-term extraction of regular labour under temporary labels corrodes confidence in public administration and offends the promise of equal protection. Financial stringency certainly has a place in public policy, but it is not a talisman that overrides fairness, reason and the duty to organise work on lawful lines.
18. Moreover, it must necessarily be noted that "ad- hocism" thrives where administration is opaque. The State Departments must keep and produce accurate establishment registers, muster rolls and outsourcing arrangements, and they must explain, with evidence, why they prefer precarious engagement over sanctioned posts where the work is perennial. If "constraint" is invoked, the record should show what alternatives were considered, why similarly placed workers were treated differently, and how the chosen course aligns with Articles 14, 16 and 21 of the Constitution of India. Sensitivity to the human consequences of prolonged insecurity is not sentimentality. It is a constitutional discipline that should inform every decision affecting those who keep public offices running.
x x x
20. We have framed these directions comprehensively because, case after case, orders of this Court in such matters have been met with fresh technicalities, rolling "reconsiderations," and administrative drift which further prolongs the insecurity for those who have already laboured for years on daily wages. Therefore, we have learned that Justice in such cases cannot rest on simpliciter directions, but it demands imposition of clear duties, fixed timelines, and verifiable compliance. As a constitutional employer, the State is held to a higher standard and therefore it must organise its perennial workers on a sanctioned footing, create a budget for lawful engagement, and implement judicial directions in letter and spirit. Delay to follow these obligations is not mere negligence but rather it is a conscious method of denial that erodes livelihoods and dignity for these workers. The operative scheme we have set here comprising of creation of supernumerary posts, full regularization, subsequent financial benefits, and a sworn affidavit of compliance, is therefore a pathway designed to convert rights into outcomes and to reaffirm that fairness in engagement and transparency in administration are not matters of grace, but obligations under Articles 14, 16 and 21 of the Constitution of India."
9. Taking into consideration that the petitioner is engaged as daily wage employee/ contractual employee since 2008, the circular issued by the 5/5 State Government dated 05.03.2008 with regard to regularization of daily wage/temporary employee and the relief as claimed by petitioner for regularization of his service as also considering the decision of Hon'ble Supreme Court in the above mentioned cases, this writ petition at this stage is disposed permitting the petitioner to submit fresh comprehensive representation before the Respondent Nos. 2 & 3, and if such a representation is submitted, the concerned authorities shall consider and take decision on the representation keeping in mind the period of service which the petitioner has completed of about 17 years as also the decision of Hon'ble Supreme Court on the issue of regularization of daily wage/temporary employee, expeditiously, in accordance with law expeditiously, preferably within a further period of 04 months from the date of receipt of representation.
10. Accordingly, this petition is disposed of with aforesaid observation and direction.
Certified copy as per rules.
Sd/-
(Parth Prateem Sahu) Judge pwn